Life without Penny
by ynotlleb
Summary: What would have happened to Sheldon and the others if Penny hadn't moved in across the hall?
1. Viewing 4B

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **The story opens as Penny is being shown apartment 4B**

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Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard came out of 4A as Penny came out of 4B with the building manager. Leonard, Raj and Howard stopped and stared, Howard broke the silence by saying "hello pretty lady" before Sheldon said "come on gentlemen, it's new Comic Book night." The other 3 reluctantly followed Sheldon down stairs.

After the men disappeared down the stairs Penny finally spoke.

"Who were they?"

"If you move in here two of those gentlemen would be your neighbours. Dr. Cooper and Dr. Hofstadter are scientists who work at Caltech."

"I see, well thanks for showing me the apartment, I have a couple more apartments to view today. I will let you know if I still want the apartment by tomorrow."

"No problem."

##################################

That evening returned to Bernadette's apartment, where she was temporarily staying after breaking up with Kurt.

"Hi Bernie, good news, I have found a new apartment after looking at five different apartments today."

"Well done Penny, where is it?"

"It's just round the corner from the Cheesecake Factory. I did see one on Los Robles that looked good but the rent was at the top of my price range. Also there were some rather creepy looking nerds living across the hall, imagine having people like that as neighbours?"

"I have enough time with people like that at university, good to deal with normal people most of the time."

"Anyway, I am moving at the weekend, thanks for letting me stay here. Get your dancing shoes on, let's have a girls night out to celebrate."


	2. 4, 3, 2, 1

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **The lives of Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj continue without Penny across the hall.**

##################################

Caltech, Comic Books, Star Trek, Paintball and Pizza. At first the lives of the four nerds carried on as before without Penny in 4B. Eventually a young couple moved into 4B, their relationship with Sheldon and Leonard was not much more than saying hello to each other in the hall.

The group of 4 started to break up. Howard got transferred to the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida so he moved out there with his mother (of course). Debbie Wolowitz was happy to be close to family members in Miami.

Raj's contract at Caltech was not renewed, so he returned to his _alma mater_ of Cambridge University as a lecturer in astrophysics. In spite of not being able to speak to women his parents arranged a marriage for him to an Indian lady living in England. He ended up as husband and father of twin girls.

Three years on from when Penny didn't move in across the hall Leonard left 4A to move in with Leslie Winkle. Three months later Howard and Raj came to Pasadena for what turned out to be their final time for the wedding of Leslie and Leonard. Six months later it was all over, Leonard fled home to Princeton, never to return to California. Leslie and Leonard were divorced.

Sheldon remained in California.


	3. Sheldon's meeting

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon continues to work at Caltech.**

##################################

Sheldon was already a Professor when Leonard got married, so he could afford to live in 4A without a roommate. When Leonard fled to Princeton Sheldon's life carried on as before. Outside Caltech and a weekly trip to the Comic Book Store Sheldon was happy to live a solitary life to concentrate on his work.

Sheldon eventually made a professional friendship with Barry Kripke and Leslie Winkle, Sheldon had no problems with Leslie after her failed marriage to Leonard. Caltech didn't mind Sheldon doing whatever he wanted with his Physics provided he discussed his work with the head of the Physics department once a month.

##################################

"Good morning Rebecca"

"Hello Professor Cooper"

"I am here for my monthly meeting with the head of the Physics department."

"Oh yes, I will tell her you are here." Rebecca pressed the intercom button "Professor Cooper is here."

"Thanks Rebecca, I am with Dr. Kripke but we are nearly finished, tell him to come through."

"You heard the lady Professor"

"Thank you Rebecca"

Sheldon entered the head of department's office

"It's Professor Dumbass"

"Good morning Professor Winkle."

"Coopah!"

"Hello Dr. Kripke"

"OK Barry are we finished here."

"Just one more thing, you remember?"

"Oh yes, Sheldon, Barry and I would like to invite you over for dinner on Saturday night, 7.30pm."

"That would be acceptable."

"Great, OK Barry I should be finished at 5.30pm, we can go home together."

Barry kissed his wife and said "See you then Professor Winkle".

"OK Sheldon, what has been happening in your world of theoretical physics this month?"

"It's a shame you are head of department and can't do much real science these days, you are still the only person here at Caltech who has any idea of what I am researching, it would be good if I could discuss my physics with you more than once a month."

"Well somebody has to be head of department."

"Rather you than me old friend. Anyway this month I have carried on trying to combine String Theory and Quantum Loop Gravity into a new theory..."

45 minutes later their scientific discussion was interrupted by sound of the intercom.

"Yes Rebecca, what is it?"

"Just to remind you that you have the science faculty finance committee meeting in 15 minutes."

"Thank you Rebecca. OK Sheldon, this was fun as always but time to do my head of department duties."

"One last thing Leslie, have you heard from Leonard recently?"

"If you mean my ex-husband I haven't heard from him since the divorce was finalised 5 years ago. Why do you ask?"

"I heard him being interviewed on 'Science Friday' last week, he is still at Princeton."

"Probably still living with his horrible mother."

"No doubt, thank you Leslie, see you on Saturday night."


	4. Saturday 730pm

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon arrives at the Winkle-Kripke household for dinner**

##################################

Saturday night at exactly 7.30pm.

Knock, knock, knock "Leslie and Barry"; knock, knock, knock "Leslie and Barry"; knock, knock, knock "Leslie and Barry".

"Hewwo, Professor Coopah"

"Hello Dumbass"

"Good evening Dr Kripke, Professor Winkle. Here I am for dinner."

"Come on through Sheldon."

Sheldon came into the house to see Professor Kibbler and an unknown lady.

"Hello Bert, I haven't seen you for a while."

"Hi Sheldon, I just got back from a sabbatical year at the University of Edinburgh. This is my wife Professor Sara MacDonald."

"Pleased to meet you Professor. I didn't know Bert was married, how did you meet?"

"I am a Professor of Geology at the University of Edinburgh, I met Bert on a field trip shortly after he started his sabbatical year and it was love at first sight. We got married at the top of Arthur's Seat last summer."

"That's an extinct volcano overlooking Edinburgh, appropriate for geologists."

"Now I am on a sabbatical year at Caltech to be with my husband."

"Well congratulations to the two of you."

Then Leslie said "we are waiting for the final guest to arrive. She has been collaborating with Barry in his work at Caltech."

"Leslie, are you trying to set me up again?"

Then there was a knock on the door

"Ah, he she is" and Barry opened the door and brought the final guest through. "This is Dr. Alison Fischer, she is a postdoc in the Caltech Physics department..."


	5. Hokum?

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon has his next monthly meeting with Professor Winkle**

##################################

"It's Professor Dumbass again"

"Good morning Professor Winkle, nice to see you again."

"Yes, last time was when you came round for dinner."

"Thank you for that, but it is not necessary to keep trying to set me up with someone. Dr Fischer was a pleasant enough person but you don't have to try and match me up any old unattached PhD, no matter how well intentioned your thinking behind this."

"Barry and I are getting worried about you Sheldon. You only come into Caltech two or three days a month, you do most of your work from home. Back when we first met you had a group of friends with Leonard, that quiet Indian and the creepy little Jewish guy. Now they have all gone, all you have are people you rarely see at work. Even Bert Kibbler has found himself someone."

"Thank you Leslie but I am content with my life as it is."

"Just looking out for a friend. OK, what has been happening with your physics this month."

"Well after our discussion last month I have revised my latest paper, what you suggested made it a lot better. I would like to make you a co-author on this paper."

"Co-authorship with the great Sheldon Cooper, I am honoured..."

##################################

That night Sheldon couldn't sleep, he kept thinking about his conversation with Leslie earlier that day. Eventually he got out of bed, made himself some tea and opened his laptop. He went online to www dot phdate dot com thinking "this is probably hokum, but my scientific curiosity makes me want to investigate."

He looked at the pages for some of the ladies with Ph.D degrees, he noticed Dr. Fischer's picture as he scrolled down the page. "This one looks interesting, although she is only a biologist."

##################################

Next Saturday in a Pasadena coffee shop

"Good afternoon, I am Dr. Sheldon Cooper, you must be Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski."

"Hello Dr. Cooper, I am Bernadette, aren't you tall..."


	6. Attempt number six

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon has another meeting with Professor Winkle**

##################################

"Hello Leslie, here we are again."

"How are you Professor Dumbass, how is the physics this month?"

"I will get to that in a moment, I have something else to talk to you about first."

"I am all ears Sheldon."

"After our conversation last month you got me thinking about my life. Please don't laugh, I have spent the last 3 Saturdays on blind dates on ladies with Ph.D degrees."

"Wow! That is some news, good for you Sheldon."

"It has not gone well, I don't think I would like to meet any of these ladies socially again. The first one, Dr. Rostenkowski, was terrifying. I pity anyone who ends up married to her."

"Well I am not one to talk about relationships. I should never have married Leonard. I was fortunate to eventually find Barry but it took a long time to meet Dr. Right."

"I am trying to use the scientific method in a search for a lady friend."

"Well good luck Sheldon, we have a University full of smart ladies with doctoral degrees. Your Dr. Right could be here at Caltech?"

"Anyway, now for the important stuff. Our paper has been accepted by Theoretical Physics Letters, it will be published next month...

##################################

Three Saturdays later...

With some reluctance Sheldon entered the coffee shop for another blind date, he was wondering if this was worth the effort. There was the lady Ph.D, at least this one isn't a no show unlike last week.

"Good afternoon, you must be Dr. Cooper, I am Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. Before we get started I must warn you that I only date once a year to keep my mother happy. These dates usually last less than 10 minutes. Please bear this information in mind before you continue with this charade..."


	7. Caltech canteen

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon is at Caltech for a seminar**

##################################

Four days after his 2 minute blind date with Dr. Fowler, Sheldon made one of his relatively infrequent visits to Caltech. A Harvard theoretical physicist was coming to give a seminar, Sheldon had been following her work in the literature so he wanted to hear what she had to say for herself.

Before the seminar Sheldon decided to have lunch in the Caltech canteen. However, due to some decorating work there were not as many tables in the dining area as usual. It was very crowded, finally he saw a table in the corner with a free seat.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"No, you can take the seat away with you."

"There is nowhere else to sit, may I join you."

"Be my guest."

"I thought it was you Dr. Fowler. I am Dr. Cooper, from the coffee shop last Saturday."

"Oh yes, sorry for the short blind date but I am off the hook with my mother for another year."

"I have recently tried a computer dating site for in an attempt to get more friends in my life."

"I take it is not going well."

"If it had been going well I wouldn't have needed to try another blind date. There are some very strange ladies with doctorates out there."

"Define strange Dr. Cooper. The sort of person who gets a doctor of philosophy degree is not your average person."

"Touché Dr. Fowler. I have been trying this for the last six Saturdays. Our two minute date was by no means the worst."

"Really, I find that hard to believe."

"Well you showed up for a start, that already puts you ahead of some of the ladies I have tried to date in recent weeks."

"Well good for me."

"I understand that you are a neurobiologist, what are you researching."

"I study the effects of addiction on monkey brains. I hope to extend my studies to humans in the near future."

"Fascinating, I study string theory to understand how the universe works."

"That sounds cute."

"Cute?"

"All very interesting no doubt but I do the real fundamental science. Without that big brain of yours Dr. Cooper you wouldn't be able to do anything with the universe."

"Touché again Dr. Fowler. This is fascinating, when I talk Physics I am always the smartest person in the room. I am not so sure if I can say that about this conversation, it is good to be taken out of my comfort zone occasionally."

"Glad that I could help to bring your ego down to earth."

"This is fun! I have a suggestion for you Dr. Fowler. There is going to be a public lecture at Caltech on Friday night by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. I like to attend these so-called popular science lectures to try and keep the speaker on their toes by asking really hard science questions. Would you like to attend this lecture with me, possibly meet up for some food or drink beforehand?..."


	8. Public lecture

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon and Amy eat at the Cheesecake Factory**

##################################

Sheldon met Amy outside the Cheesecake Factory

"Good evening Dr. Fowler, right on time, I like that."

"Good evening Dr. Cooper. A second date, an unprecedented event."

"I must admit I have never eaten here before, I don't often eat out these days. However, I have heard good things about the place and it is close to Caltech."

"Let us go in and find out if what you have heard is true."

"Ladies first."

"Good evening, my name is Penny. Welcome to the Cheesecake Factory..."

##################################

One hour later Sheldon and Amy entered the auditorium at Caltech

"Professor Dumbass"

"Well hello Leslie and Barry"

"Hewwo Coopah and who is this young lady?"

"Leslie and Barry, this is Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler from the Caltech neurobiology department."

"Dr. Fowler, these are my friends from the Caltech physics department. Professor Leslie Winkle and her husband Dr. Barry Kripke. Leslie is head of the physics department."

"Pleased to meet the two of you. I must have seen you around at Caltech, you seem vaguely familiar."

"It is good to see Sheldon with a new friend. Would the two of you like to come to our house for dinner a week on Saturday?..."

##################################

After the lecture

"Thank you for the invitation Dr. Cooper, that was an interesting lecture by Dr. Tyson. He managed to answer your questions."

"Yes he did. I suppose it's an occupational hazard when you give a popular science lecture that real scientists like us can turn up and point out the errors and simplifications. I suspect he has had people like us in the audience before."

"A question for you Dr. Cooper, why did Professor Winkle call you Dumbass?"

"Ah, that's our own private joke. There was a time, especially when she was married to my old roommate Leonard, that we weren't as good friends as we are now. We used to call each other all sorts of nasty things. When they got divorced and Leonard moved back to Princeton we gradually became better friends. Now we have a friendly professional relationship. Leslie and Barry sometimes invite me to their home for dinner, although Leslie keeps trying to fix me up with someone. After Leslie's latest attempt to fix me up I realised how small my circle of friends has become these days. It is mostly people at Caltech and I don't see see them that often. Provided I see the head of department, Leslie, once a month to discuss my research Caltech let me work from home without distractions. I only come in to Caltech 2 or 3 times a month. So I went to the PhD dating service to see if I could find some more friends of my own to stop Leslie's efforts at matchmaking."

"And here we are Dr. Cooper."

"Yes here we are Dr. Fowler. I must admit after our 2 minute blind date I was thinking about giving up this blind date lark. I think you will agree that this second date has been a bit more enjoyable."

"Do you intend to go to dinner with your friends a week on Saturday?"

"Well that depends Dr. Fowler, would you like to come with me?..."


	9. Another dinner

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon meets with Leslie again**

##################################

"Well it's Professor Dumbass again come to talk physics."

"Here I am again Leslie. One thing I must mention at the start. Calling me Dumbass when we are together at Caltech is fine, our own private joke. However perhaps it isn't an appropriate thing to call me in a social situation. Amy, Dr. Fowler, asked me why you said that when we met at the lecture last week. Dr. Fowler has agreed to accompany me on Saturday night after your kind invitation to dinner."

"That is good news Sheldon, I won't call you Dumbass in front of Dr. Fowler."

"Thank you Leslie."

"Now for Physics, I have seen that our paper has been published Sheldon, it made the journal cover."

"Well done to us. Now I want to discuss my idea for a follow up paper...

##################################

Saturday night 7.29pm.

"Here we are Dr. Fowler, are you ready."

"Yes, Dr. Cooper I am ready, but I think in a social situation like this we should be less formal."

"I agree Amy"

"Thank you Sheldon."

Knock, knock, knock "Leslie and Barry"; knock, knock, knock "Leslie and Barry"; knock, knock, knock "Leslie and Barry".

Leslie opened the door.

"Welcome Sheldon and Amy, please come in."

"Hewwo Sheldon and Amy, come and meet the guests."

"Hi Sheldon and Amy, I am Bert Kibbler, this is my wife Sara MacDonald."

"Oh yes, the geologists, Sheldon told me how you met. How are you enjoying California Professor MacDonald."

"Wonderful, I am staying here, Caltech has arranged a permanent job for me."

"I am using some of my MacArthur Genius Grant money to help fund her work."

Then Barry said "this is my physics colleague Dr. Alison Fischer with Dr. Simon Chen."

"Good evening Dr. Fischer and hello Simon."

"Amy's office is 3 doors down from mine in the biology building."

"Good to see you have someone with you Dr. Cooper."

"You too Dr. Fischer, how did you meet Dr. Chen."

"We met through the Caltech lunchtime running group."

"I found this nice lady, my running has got better by having to run faster to keep up with her."

Then Leslie said "OK we have all got to know each other, shall we go and eat..."


	10. Mrs Fowler meets the cowboy

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Sheldon meets with Amy's parents!**

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Sheldon and Amy's relationship continued as friends. They would normally get together at the weekend and go out for dinner, visit a museum or go to a concert. On Sheldon's infrequent days at Caltech they would meet for lunch or a cup of tea. They were both content to have a friendly relationship and neither were interested in taking it any further.

Then one Wednesday evening, after they had met for lunch after Sheldon's monthly meeting with Professor Winkle, Sheldon heard someone knocking on the door of his apartment.

Knock, knock, knock "Sheldon", knock, knock, knock "Sheldon", knock, knock, knock "Sheldon".

"Why Amy, what brings you here? Please come in, I wasn't expecting to see you until the lecture on Sunday night. Are you OK, you look somewhat distressed."

"Sorry to disturb you Sheldon but I need to speak to you urgently."

"Please sit down Amy, you can tell me about it as I make us some tea."

"You know I date once a year to keep my mother happy. She was asking me about my latest date and I innocently told her that I had met you and made a friend."

"Yes, I am grateful that you did."

"My mother doesn't believe me, she thinks I have made you up. You have been invited for lunch at my parents house on Saturday."

"Well I was planning on a trip to the Comic Book store on Saturday."

"Please come with me Sheldon and prove to my mother that you exist and I will buy you all the Comic Books you want."

"Thank you for the offer but that will not be necessary, I shall come with you on Saturday and visit your parents..."

##################################

Saturday lunchtime Amy and Sheldon approached the front door of Amy's parents.

"Do you know Sheldon you are the first friend of any gender that I have ever brought to visit my parents."

"I am honoured Amy. Let's get this right, your father is called Larry and he is a retired accountant."

"Dad is wonderful sweet quiet man."

"Your mother is called Hilary and she is a retired English teacher."

"Be prepared Sheldon, my mother can be somewhat of a challenge."

Amy rang the doorbell "Here we go Sheldon."

Mrs Fowler answered the door "Look Larry, Amy is here, this must be the mysterious Sheldon. Please come through, would you like some tea? You can sit here Sheldon."

One minute later Sheldon and Amy were sat on the Fowlers' sofa as Mrs Fowler began the interrogation

"So what do you do Sheldon?"

"I am a Physics Professor at Caltech."

"That's where I work mother."

"I am talking here Amy."

"So where are you from Professor?"

"I come from Texas."

"Look Larry, our Amy has found herself a cowboy. What do you parents do?"

"My father was a High School Football Coach, but he died in 1994. My mother works at the local church"

"Are you religious cowboy?"

"Absolutely not, but my mother is."

"So you met Amy on her blind date."

"Yes we did, we then got to know each other better when we met at Caltech. I signed up for the dating service to try and make some new friends. I am happy to have made a friendship with your daughter. She is the smartest person I have ever met apart from Stephen Hawking."

"I think that you are lying cowboy, you are just some actor Amy found to pretend to be her friend to fool her old mother."

"I assure you I am genuine. Here is my Caltech staff identity card and my membership card for the American Physical Society. Here on my phone is my Caltech staff web page. Here is a photograph of me with the late Professor Hawking."

"OK cowboy, what can you tell me about Amy if she is your friend."

"She was born here in Glendale, she is an only child. She studied at Harvard where she got a Ph.D in neurobiology. Her birthday is December 17th. She likes 'Little House on the Prairie' and medieval poetry, her favourite music is harp music and she likes the songs of Neil Diamond.'

"So cowboy, you are an actor with a good memory. What was the name of her pet dog when she was growing up?"

"She never had a dog, she had a pet cat called 'Tiger' between the ages of 5 and 10. Please tell me Mrs Fowler what is the point of this interrogation? You insist that your daughter dates once a year. Well she did and she met me, surely you should be happy with this state of affairs? She is a grown woman with a brilliant mind and is a world renowned scientist working at a very prestigious university. It is understandable for parents to be concerned when their daughter brings home a man to meet them but I am a 38 year old Professor, not some 18 year old high school boy taking her to the prom. I may be a Texan but I am not a cowboy, I have never been on a horse and have no intention of getting on one. When I told you that my father was dead it is the usual custom to say some words of condolences. Instead all I got was a series of increasingly rude questions."

Then Amy stood up and took Sheldon's hand "we are leaving now mother, thank you for the invitation. We can show ourselves out."


	11. Seattle

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **What happened after the meeting with Amy's parents.**

##################################

Amy closed the front door of her parents house behind her then, still holding Sheldon's hand, walked to her car. After they both got into Amy's car she turned off her phone and calmly drove a mile down the road to the Glendale shopping mall, she didn't say a word whilst she did this. After she had safely parked the car and removed her seatbelt she turned to Sheldon and burst into tears! Sheldon reached over and gave Amy a consoling hug.

"Oh Sheldon, I am so sorry what she did to you, I should never have agreed to take you to meet my horrible mother."

"Is she always that rude?"

"Yes she is, I would never have dreamed she would treat you that way. I should have seen this coming."

"Shall we go somewhere more comfortable and you can tell me all about it. We didn't get any lunch."

"Good idea Sheldon."

They got out of the car and Sheldon took Amy by the hand and led her to a coffee shop. Over a sandwich, a muffin and 3 cups of tea Amy told the tale of woe of her childhood. Sheldon heard about the absence of friends, the sin closet, the lack of fun that was the life of young Amy.

When it was all over and the tears had stopped flowing. Sheldon made a suggestion.

"Amy, has your mother got access to your apartment?"

"Yes she has a spare key for emergencies."

"OK, first thing we do is go to your apartment and call a locksmith, we need to change the lock to your door as soon as possible. Then pack up some clothes, you can stay in Leonard's old room at my apartment. We need to get you away from your mother for a few days."

"Oh my dear Sheldon, where were you 20 years ago..."

##################################

The next Wednesday Sheldon had been at Caltech in the morning on one of his infrequent visits. He was in Amy's office just before they were going to lunch then suddenly they heard a quiet voice

"Hello Amy, and good morning Sheldon."

"Dad, what brings you here?"

"I am running away from home, I am off to visit my sister in Seattle. Your mother has never been able to stand your Aunt Mary, she won't go there."

"What did mother say?"

"She doesn't know yet. Every Wednesday I play golf with one of my old work friends. I have been planning for the possibility of this day for a couple of years. Every week I sneak out some of my personal possessions in my golf bag. I have a storage locker downtown where I keep things. Today I am not playing golf, I am off to clean out the locker and then north to Seattle. Seeing you and Sheldon stand up my horrible wife at the weekend gave me the courage to escape.

Then Sheldon said "good for you Sir, how did you stay with her for so long?"

"We first met in college, this friendly extrovert lady swept me off my feet. At first she was wonderful, we had so much fun together. Things started to change after Amy was born and she turned into the heartless controlling bitch you met on Saturday."

"How will you survive Dad, what will you do about money?"

"Oh I am the retired accountant, I have money stashed away in all sorts of places she will never find."

Amy hugged her father, then Sheldon shook him by the hand.

"Give my love to Aunt Mary and Uncle John."

"Good luck to you Sir."


	12. An unwelcome visitor

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **The aftermath of the meeting with Amy's parents continues.**

##################################

The next evening Amy got a phone call from her father.

"Hello Amy, I have arrived at Aunt Mary's house in Seattle, it was a long drive but I made it. I told your mother last night I was leaving her and then closed the call. I am sad to say that tomorrow I will talk to my lawyer about initiating divorce proceedings."

"Well Dad I am very sad to hear that. However, I am not surprised, I was afraid that this would happen one day."

"I suggest you avoid your mother as much as possible after she gets the news, stay close to that Sheldon of yours. He looks like a good man."

"I will do that, keep us posted on the news."

"I surely will, do you want to talk to your Aunt Mary?..."

##################################

Next Tuesday Mr. Fowler's lawyer officially told Mrs. Fowler that her husband wanted a divorce. She did not take it well. Amy had blocked her mother's number on her phone and would not answer any calls from unknown numbers. However, she knew it was only a matter of time before her mother found her.

##################################

Wednesday was Sheldon's monthly talk with Leslie Winkle.

"It's Professor Dumbass!"

"Hello Leslie, good to see you again."

"How are things with you and Dr. Fowler."

"Amy and I are doing fine."

"How are things with your Physics?"

"I have been asked to give a talk at the American Physical Society conference in Cambridge in 2 months time, this is on the work from our joint paper from earlier this year."

"Good news, Barry is attending that conference. I can't make it, too much administration for me..."

Fifteen minutes later the intercom sounded, it was Leslie's secretary Rebecca.

"Sorry to bother you, but if Professor Cooper is still there could he please head to Dr. Fowler's laboratory as soon as possible!"

Five minutes later Sheldon came running down the corridor. He saw Mrs. Fowler screaming at her daughter. When she saw Sheldon she started screaming at him as well.

"So it's the cowboy, do you know why my key didn't work in Amy's apartment last night? After my cowardly husband got his lawyer to do his dirty work yesterday I could not get Amy to answer the phone. So I went to her apartment where my spare key did not work. I banged on the door for 15 minutes to get Amy to come out, eventually a neighbour appeared and said Amy hadn't been around for over a week. So I have come here to confront my wicked sinful daughter."

"Amy, if you don't want your mother to be here, I suggest that you call University security. This is a scientific laboratory, untrained visitors should not be here without supervision."

"Mother, you should leave. You can't hurt me or Dad any more."

"Just tell me where he is?"

"He is in Seattle with Aunt Mary."

"I never could stand that sister of his" and then Mrs Fowler stormed out.

After she left Amy burst into tears and collapsed into Sheldon's arms.

"It's OK Amy she has gone now, she can't hurt us any more."

"I think I would like to go to my apartment Sheldon."

"Are you sure, she knows where that is."

"Yes, but she doesn't know where your apartment is. I want to get some more of my things, there is still plenty of closet space in Leonard's old room..."


	13. Harvard

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **An encounter at Harvard.**

##################################

One month later, Sheldon had his monthly talk with Leslie Winkle

"Hello Professor Dumbass"

"Hello Leslie. I am sorry for bailing out on you so suddenly last month. A family problem for Amy."

"Yes I heard her crazy mother confronted her in her laboratory."

"How is Amy doing?"

"She has just moved in permanently with me, before that she had been hiding away from her mother in Leonard's old room. Last week she moved everything out of her apartment and into mine!"

"Well good for both of you. I told you that this university of ours had plenty of bright ladies with Ph.D degrees "

"In three weeks time we would like to invite you and Barry round for dinner. You have been such kind hosts to me in the past I wish to return the favour."

"Well thank you Sheldon, that is very kind of you, I am sure we can make it. So how are things with physics?"

"You know I am giving the talk at the American Physical Society conference next month in Cambridge. I want to discuss with you what parts of our work I should include in the presentation, I only have an hour to talk...

##################################

Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts, Sheldon started his presentation

"Good morning everyone, my name is Professor Sheldon Cooper from Caltech. I would like to thank the organisers for their kind invitation to speak to you today about 'String theory and quantum loop gravity, a new theoretical combination to explain the universe.' Before I start I wish to acknowledge the contribution of my friend and colleague Professor Leslie Winkle from Caltech, without her input I would not have been able to have made so much progress with my work..."

After the talk Sheldon met up with Amy and gave her a kiss.

"So Dr. Fowler, what did you think of my talk?"

"Well Professor Cooper I thought that it was cute."

"Cute? That is quite a compliment."

"Thank you Professor."

"Hello Sheldon."

"Leonard, hello my old friend! It has been a long time. Good to see you. May introduce my girlfriend Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, she is a neurobiologist at Caltech. Amy this is Professor Leonard Hofstadter, formerly of Caltech but now of Princeton. You used to sleep in his old bedroom."

"I have heard a lot about you, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Wow, Sheldon has a girlfriend, fantastic. What did you make of Sheldon's talk Dr. Fowler."

"Oh it was cute."

"You are neurobiologist Dr. Fowler, what brings you to a Physics conference?"

"Well I wanted to hear Sheldon's talk, and I studied at Harvard, it is nice to return for old times sake."

"Hey Sheldon, since when have you been friends with Leslie?"

"Things have changed Leonard, we became better friends after you left."

"She used to call you 'Dumbass'"

"She still does Leonard. Did you know she is now head of the Physics department?"

"No I didn't know that, good for her."

"Not so good for me. She is the only person at Caltech who has any idea about my work, but she is snowed under with administrative duties and doesn't have time to properly talk Physics with me."

"Hewwo Hofstadter, I see you are talking about my wife."

"What, you are married to Leslie Winkle? She divorced me to marry Barry Kripke!"

"Yes she did Hofstadter, lucky me."

"Things have changed Leonard."


	14. Cheesecake Factory

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Back to the Cheesecake Factory.**

##################################

"Good evening, my name is Penny, welcome to the Cheesecake Factory."

"Good evening Penny, table for 2 please."

"Sure, if you would like to follow me."

After they were seated

"So Sheldon, why are we eating here tonight?"

"If you recall we had our first real date here two years ago before the lecture from Dr. Tyson. I don't want to count the two minute blind date when we first met."

"Yes I remember the lecture."

"So I thought it would be an appropriate place to ask you to marry me..."

##################################

Next morning Sheldon awoke and said "good morning fiancée".

"You mean that wasn't a dream, you really did ask me to marry you?"

"Yes I did my dear Amy."

"So shall we do some wedding planning today?"

"I will marry you tomorrow if you like!"

"Seriously Sheldon?"

"Well I want to be married to you as soon as possible. However it should be a joint decision for the two of us."

"Well I would like family and friends to come."

"Yes, that would be good."

"Let's make some calls and tell people."

"Good idea my dear fiancée."

"Hello Dad, this is Amy, I have some extremely good news, Sheldon and I are going to get married!"

"Wonderful, I always thought he was a good man. When did he ask you?"

"Last night, I just woke up and realised it wasn't a dream."

"Have you told your mother yet?"

"No, I haven't heard from her since the day she was screaming at us at Caltech."

"I've not heard from her since the divorce was finalised last year. Still she is your mother, she needs to be at the wedding."

"I will send her an invitation."

"Do you want to speak to Aunt Mary?..."

##################################

They eventually decided to get married one month later, they would get married at Pasadena City Hall and then have the wedding reception at Caltech.

Leslie and Barry agreed to be maid of honour and best man, lots of other Caltech friends accepted the invitation. Amy's father and Aunt were coming from Seattle. Sheldon's family were also going to come from Texas.

A wedding invitation was sent to Amy's mother with no response. Invitations were also sent to Raj, Howard and Leonard. Raj couldn't come as it coincided with an international astrophysics conference that he was helping to organise in Cambridge. Howard couldn't come as he had to look after his sick mother. When Leonard found out that Leslie and Barry would be there he politely declined the invitation.


	15. Wedding reception

**The whole premise of TBBT is what happened to Sheldon, Leonard and their nerdy friends when Penny moved in across the hall. What if Penny didn't move in? Everything belongs to Lorre, Prady and friends.**

 **Last part, the wedding reception.**

##################################

Leslie and Barry joined the newlywed Sheldon and Amy in a group hug.

"Congwatuations you two, another Caltech married couple."

"Yeah, congratulations to you and your wife Dumbass :-) That's the last time Sheldon, anyone married to Amy must be anything but dumb."

"Thank you our friends, we couldn't have done this without you."

"If you hadn't kept trying to fix me up Leslie I would have never have thought of looking for myself."

Amy then looked at her new husband and said "we did it, we really got married."

"OK my dear wife, are you ready to go and meet some Texans?..."

##################################

Meanwhile in another part of the wedding reception room a rather awkward reunion was taking place.

"Hello Hilary, I am glad that you made it, Amy said that you never replied to the invitation."

"Well Larry, here I am."

"In spite of everything it is good to see you again."

"Hello to you Larry. I remember your sister Mary and her husband John but who is this lady?"

"This is Sally, an old friend of Mary's and my fiancée."

"Oh really, I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Thank you Hilary."

"So our Amy married the cowboy."

"Yes she did. Let us go and congratulate our daughter and son-in-law together..."


End file.
